EU will ban cadmium in jewellery, brazing sticks and all plastics from December 2011. The reason behind this prohibition is that consumers including children risked being exposed to cadmium through skin contact or through licking. The ban on cadmium in jewellery will protect consumers, in particular children. It is equally good for the environment, as cadmium-free plastics will help to reduce pollution.

Besides jewellery, the ban also covers cadmium in all plastics and brazing sticks, which are used to join dissimilar materials as fumes that are released during this process are highly dangerous if inhaled. Cadmium is a carcinogenic substance and is toxic for the aquatic environment. Since alternatives became available the European PVC industry decided to phase out cadmium from all PVC as part of a program called “Vinyl 2010”. The use of cadmium in batteries and electronics has been restricted since 2004. The new ban will be listed in Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (Regulation Nº 1907/2006 for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals).

The new legislation prohibits cadmium in all plastic products while encouraging the recovery of PVC waste for use in a number of construction products. As PVC is a valuable material that can be recovered a number of times, the new legislation allows the re-use of recovered PVC containing low levels of cadmium in a limited number of construction products, without danger for the public or environment. In addition, construction products that will be made of this recovered PVC will be marketed with a specific logo.